A patent application by Apple for “[a] three-dimentional (“3D”) display environment for mobile device,” titled “Sensor Based Display Environment”, shows that the California company would use the accelerometer and proximity sensors installed in the iDevices for a 3D interface on the iPhone.

“Due to the limited size of the typical display on a mobile device, a 3D GUI can be difficult to navigate using conventional means, such as a finger or stylus,” the patent reads.

“For example, to view different perspectives of the 3D GUI, two hands are often needed: one hand to hold the mobile device and the other hand to manipulate the GUI into a new 3D perspective.”

The interface would offer an overview of a 3D display environment that would provide data from the gyroscope to detect hand-movements in front of the screen.

This technology would allow the user to interact with the device by using simple movements while picturing the display as an “imaginary camera viewfinder.”